Donate
Contact Us
Careers
Pay a Bill
Get Care
MyChart
Bonding With Your Newborn
Baby-Friendly Care
When you choose to give birth at Essentia Health, feel confident you’re delivering at a hospital that supports mother-baby bonding and your choice to breastfeed. That’s because all our birthing centers follow practices outlined by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. This is a global program launched by the World Health Organization and United National Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Golden Hour After Birth
Spend the first hour after your baby is born snuggling and getting to know each other. During “the golden hour,” you’ll hold your baby on your chest and, if you choose, try breastfeeding. When you and your baby are undisturbed during this special time, you may benefit from:
- A stronger mother-baby bond
- An easier transition to the world for your newborn
- More stable heart rate, breathing, and temperature for your newborn after birth
- Release of hormones that help your body heal faster
- Earlier and longer breastfeeding
Count on your birth care team to help limit visitors during this special time with your newborn.
Skin-to-Skin Care
During your hospital stay, your care team will encourage you or your partner to hold your diaper-clad baby to your chest. This is called skin-to-skin care and helps your baby:
- Get to know you better
- Cry less
- Breastfeed more
- Gain more weight
- Maintain a steadier heartbeat and breathing rate
- Sleep better
Rooming-In
Unless your baby needs special medical attention, your newborn will stay in your hospital room with you. Rooming-in with your baby allows you to:
- Detect your baby’s signs of hunger
- Breastfeed more often and on demand
- Have more time to practice skin-to-skin care
- Gain confidence in caring for your newborn
Your care team is always readily available nearby to provide help whenever you or your baby need it.
Baby-Friendly Hospitals
Feel confident that you’ll receive world-class care for moms and babies at Essentia Health. The following locations are Baby-Friendly® Designated Hospitals:
Need a Pediatrician?
Partner with Essentia Health to keep your little one well. Learn about pediatrics and family medicine at Essentia, or find a doctor near you.
-
Obstetrics
Depend on Essentia Health Obstetrics to provide care that fits your needs, from pre-natal, to birth, to post-partem care.